Author: Gospel Folio Press

Exodus 13:1-14:4; Psalms 47:1-48:14; Acts 7:1-29

Adam…where are you? Genesis 3:9 NKJV
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10
I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. Exodus 20:5 NKJV

God longs to fellowship with you! Throughout Scripture, we see how God desires to draw people to Himself. He has myriads of angels who worship Him, so why seek you and me? He created us to have intimacy, and a daily walk with us. How humbling this is and how precious to think that I can make Him happy today by my worship, love, and devotion. The whole story of Calvary is for us to be reunited with Him. Let’s give Him our best today! —Eleanor Isaacson

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to Thee.  —Fanny Crosby

Exodus 12:21-51; Psalm 45:1-46:11; Acts 6:1-15

For the love of Christ constraineth us. 2 Corinthians 5:14

Wuest’s translation gives us a lovely expansion of this verse: “For the love which Christ has [for me] presses on me from all sides, holding me to one end and prohibiting me from considering any other, wrapping itself around me in tenderness, giving me an impelling motive”. If you need extra motivation this year as you serve the Lord and His people, give careful consideration to this verse, and to the many others that give expression to God’s impelling love. The great love of Christ should always be our motive for serving Him.—Elizabeth C. Bishop

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.  —Frederick Lehman

Exodus 11:1-12:20; Psalm 44:1-26; Acts 5:12-42

Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. Proverbs 13:13

It has been well said that how a person responds to the Word of God will accurately indicate who they are. If a person’s Bible is neglected and unused, it will reflect an individual who is godless and indifferent to His truth. How differently two kings, Josiah and his son Jehoiakim, treated the Scriptures. Josiah rent his clothes and inquired of the Lord when he read its warnings (2 Kgs. 22:11-13).  In contrast, his son cut it up and burned it (Jer. 36:23)! How much do we value and obey the Scriptures? —Pete Smith

Lord, Thy Word abideth,
And our footsteps guideth;
Who its truth believeth,
Light and joy receiveth. —H. W. Baker

Exodus 10:1-29; Psalms 42:1-43:5; Acts 4:32-5:11

He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. Psalm 18:19 NKJV
I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart. Psalm 40:8 NKJV

If you are not yet a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, He is waiting with open arms for you to come to Him. If you are a believer, the Lord delights in you. So be open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and delight yourself in Him each and every day. As we spend time with Him, our delight in Him and His Word will increase. And in turn, He will delight to shower us with His love, peace, grace and mercy. —Annette Baal

We share Thy joy, in Him who sitteth there;
Our hearts delight, in Thy delight in Him.  —W.B. Dick

Exodus 9:1-35; Psalm 40:1-41:13; Acts 4:1-31

He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30 NKJV

Each of the four Gospels gives an account of the Lord’s last breath. However, there are three different expressions used. Matthew says Christ, “yielded up His spirit”. Both Mark and Luke say, “He breathed His last”, while John says, “He gave up His spirit”. Each of these descriptions fit with the writer’s presentation of Christ. In Matthew it is as a king the Lord Jesus dismisses His spirit. In Mark and Luke as a servant and as a man He breathes His last, and in
John as the Son of God He gives up His spirit. —Gary McBride

To heav’n He turns triumphant eyes;
“Tis finished” now the conqu’ror cries,
Then bows His sacred head and dies,
On the cross! 0n the cross! —Joseph Hoskins

Exodus 8:1-32; Psalms 38:1-39:13; Acts 3:1-26

Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:3, 5

No person will be in heaven without agreeing with God’s Word about their sinfulness. After listening to Peter’s convicting preaching, his listeners said, “What shall we do?” Peter had proven Israel’s guilt from Scripture. They must repent and give public evidence of faith in Christ “for the remission of sins”. Recognizing their guilt,
they gladly received Peter’s message and 3,000 souls were saved (Acts 2:22-41). God’s Word is clear, “It is written, there is none righteous; all the world [is] guilty before God” (Rom. 3:10, 19). Respecting Jesus and believing about Him is not enough. Guilty, repentant sinners need the crucified, risen Saviour. Gladly they trust Him and are saved. — David W. Oliver

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow. —E. M. Hall

Exodus 6:14-7:25; Psalm 37:1-40; Acts 2:22-47

Be strong and of a good courage. Joshua 1:6

The call to be both strong and courageous is repeated four times in this chapter. The powerful, intelligent and righteous leadership of Moses had ended. Now the awesome responsibility for leadership of the nation fell upon his successor, Joshua. Humanly speaking it seemed an impossible task but Joshua was reassured that the Lord would be with him. But he must obey the Law. If he did what was right and trusted in God then his courage would not fail him
and he would provide strong leadership for the people. We should also remember the Lord’s nearness as we face difficult and dangerous situations. God is greater than all our problems. —Paul Young

Soldiers of Christ, arise, and put your armour on,
Strong in the strength which God supplies, through His eternal Son.  —Charles Wesley 

Exodus 5:1-6:13; Psalms 35:1-36:12; Acts 2:1-21

…Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king…And the Lord said…they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me. 1 Samuel 8:5,?7

Samuel was a great man of God but his failure to bring up his sons in the fear of the Lord caused Israel to reject God by asking for a king. In the same way my family life will have a great effect for either good or bad in the local church fellowship. Indeed if I do not lovingly lead my own family in the things of the Lord, how can I be a leader among God’s people (1 Tim. 3:4,?12)? Furthermore, I may even be the cause of some rejecting God. Let us pray for all who have young children. —David Croudace

Does your family see the Lord Jesus, in all you seek to do?
Will they follow your life for Him and trust His teaching too?  —Anonymous

Exodus 4:1-31; Psalm 34:1-22; Acts 1:1-26

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

When God saved us by His grace, “The love of God [was] shed abroad in our hearts” (Rom. 5:5). God, who is love, and is the source of our love, enables us to love God and also other people. That love is confirmed when we see others and desire to bless them. We love lost souls because we see them as God sees them. There is value in them that they do not see in themselves. God’s love in His children is part of our new nature. Reflect it and bless those with whom we come in contact. —Gaius C. Goff

Chance and change are busy ever;
Man decays, and ages move;
But His mercy waneth never:
God is wisdom, God is love. —John Bowring

Exodus 2:23-3:22; Psalms 32:1-33:22; Matthew 28:1-20

When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. John 11:6

Consider the “therefore” in our text. The previous verse has told us of Jesus’ love for His friends in Bethany. Because He loved them, He abode two days still in the place where He was! Can we reconcile devotion with delay? Are we often impatient with what appear to be God’s delays in our lives? Do we question His wisdom, His power or His interest in the crises in our lives? The death of Lazarus was “for the glory of God” (11:4) “Hope thou in God: for I
shall yet praise him” (Ps. 42:5). —L. Cain

My times are in Your hand,
Whatever they may be,
Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,
As You know best for me. —W. F. Lloyd